Rock music aficionados are celebrating a big anniversary this year. Forty years ago, the British band Pink Floyd released its Dark Side of the Moon album, which, according to Rolling Stone magazine, went on to spend more than 700 weeks on the Billboard chart of best-selling albums.

Dark Side of the Moon is not only musically notable, it's culturally important, too. The album is one of 25 recordings the Library of Congress plans to preserve this year in its National Recording Registry, which selects recordings for their cultural, historical or aesthetic significance.

The Ionia Theatre is marking this anniversary by bringing to Ionia a tribute to the music of Pink Floyd called "Light Up the Darkness," performed by the Detroit-area band In the Flesh. The performance, scheduled for April 20, will feature two hours of live music with a laser show and video at the Ionia Theatre.

Doors will open at 7 p.m., show time is 8 p.m. Reserved seat tickets are available for as low as $10. VIP tickets, which include backstage access, are $37.50. Tickets are available at the theater box office, Ionia City Hall or online at www.Ionia-theatre.com. For information or to charge by phone, call 616-527-3860.

In the Flesh includes 10 musicians who take on the roles of Pink Floyd band members when they perform on stage, said guitarist Fred Eppensteiner, who also does backup vocals in "the non-David Gilmour role" (Pink Floyd's lead vocalist). The event will be presented rock concert-style with two guitars, bass, keyboard, sax, drums and percussion, and three backup singers.

"We'll be doing our best to create as much of the Pink Floyd sound in a live environment as we can, with no additional backing tracks of guitarists or vocals," Eppensteiner said. "We're going to be playing the (Dark Side of the Moon) album front to back, and greatest hits off some of their albums, plus a couple of more obscure songs."

He added that Dark Side of the Moon is not only Pink Floyd's greatest selling albums, "it is one of the greatest selling albums of all time."

In addition to the 10 performers, a crew of five handles lighting, video, lasers and sound.

"It's a full production with top-of-the-line equipment, a top-notch laser show and a theater-sized PA system," said Eppensteiner. "The sound is great."

Most members of In the Flesh are in their 30s and 40s, who are joined by a couple of people in their 20s. Some have known each other for 20 years, and worked together before this band – some in original bands, others in tribute bands. While most have day jobs now, all have at one time or another been employed as full-time, professional musicians. They enjoy performing together, and enjoy performing Pink Floyd music, Eppensteiner said.

"We go back far, so we have good chemistry. It's fun for all of us because we know each other so well," he said. "It's fantastic music and people love it. I have loved it since I was a kid. It's a great opportunity to play a lot of different styles, all in a single evening. We have a great time."

Page 2 of 2 - The band began forming in February 2012, and the Pink Floyd tribute originally was " a project for fun on the side," Eppensteiner said. "This is what came out of it. It was well received and we're having fun with it."

He likes that the show allows him to contribute to the overall product in various ways – playing slide guitar, doing acoustics, leads, harmony lines, sections of extended jams, and even playing a little bass.

"It's got pretty much everything I like to do in music, with a lot of long and complex songs, a tremendous amount of production, and a huge amount of studio magic involved," he said. "I love the sound of everybody playing together, being in the middle of it and thinking, 'Oh, wow, I'm playing great music with a lot of my friends.' It's magical when it all fits together. It's always been that way for me."

Although the show is for all ages, there is some adult language in the video "The Wall," shown during the performance, that makes it "PG-13," Eppensteiner said.

One of the challenges the band faces when touring is finding a space large enough to hold all the performers and the equipment.

"We're not big enough for the Palace of Auburn Hills, but we're way too big to play in standard bars. We're still on a search for finding the right venue," he said. "This is our first venture to the west side of the state. We've heard a lot about the theatre, so we're super excited."

Gary Ferguson, Ionia Theatre director, said this show has the largest set-up the theater has ever had in hosting a live show, requiring a day and a half of assembly.

"It's a very elaborate show, and well worth the money," Ferguson said. "You would have to drive quite a distance to see a show like this elsewhere, and you'd pay more. People will definitely get their money's worth."

Ferguson noted that "a good percentage" of ticket sales return to the theater and goes into the maintenance and restoration fund.

Those who purchase the VIP tickets will be invited backstage and "get to go party with the band," he said.

An after-party and meet and greet will be held following the show at Dexter Street Smokehouse until closing.

Sponsors of the show include the city of Ionia, Dexter Street Smokehouse, Ionia Rotary Club, Ionia Sentinel-Standard, Michigan One Community Credit Union, Palermo Pizza and WION.